Whiffletree-hqok



(No Model.)

No. 471,949. 9 Patented M91. 29, 1892.

8858: IN VENTOR;

. 15 4M) -6. By @WVL ATTORNEYS NITEJD STATES GUSTAVE OARLSON,'OF SPARKS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES H. CORW'ELL, OF VALENTINE, NEBRASKA.

WH lFFLETREE-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,949, dated March 29, 1892. Application filed June 23, 1891. Serial No. 397,180. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE CARLSON, of Sparks, in the county of Cherry and State of Nebraska, have invented anew and useful Improvementin Tug or Trace Holding Attachments for W'hiffietrees and the Like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This improvement in whiffietree attachments, also applicable to neck-yokes, is applicable to both single and double trees and may be used on both light and heavy draft vehicles of different kinds, including buggies, carriages, wagons, and farm implements or machinery of all kinds using whiffletrees and drawn or worked by horses or cattle.

The main object of the invention is to prevent the trace or tug from accidentally slipping off the whiffietree, and it more especially relates to that description of stops at or near each end of the whiftletree which are formed of a yielding or spring-controlled lug or dog that, while it readily yields to admit of the tug or trace being passed to its place over the end of the whiftletree, prevents the tug or trace from accidentally slipping off the end of the tree, yet permits of its easy removal when required.

The invention consists in an attachment of this character of novel and improved construction, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularlypointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the one end portion of a singletree with my invention applied and showing the end cap or tip in which the end of the wooden tree fits as partly broken away; Fig. 2, a partly sectional and broken elevation or side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal side view showing a modified construction of the end cap or tip in which the end of the wooden tree fits, also showing both an upper and lower yielding lug or dog for operation in like manner as the single one; and Fig. 4 shows, a side view of the one end of the doubletree of a wagon or other heavy-draft vehicle, or it might be of the tree A, which is reduced so that the exterior of the cap or tip will be fiush with the body of the tree at their junction. Said cap or tip may either be driven, as in Fig. 4, onto the end of the tree or it may be slipped over the end thereof and be secured by screws, as shown in the other figures of the drawings, or be otherwise secured,-and it may be made of any desired length that is to be fitted over a longer or shorter portion of the wooden tree. For buggies and light-draft vehicles the tip B or whiffletreo attachment generally may be made of brass, copper, or other metal, nickelplated or plain, while for heavy-draft Vehicles it may be made of malleable or cast iron or other suitable metal or metals.

C is the tug or trace-holding lug or dog, which is fitted to work in a slot Z), cut in the end of the wooden tree A, and out through or back within acorresponding slot 0, formed in the cap or tip, and so that when shut down within said cap and tree it will not project beyond the outer surface or will go a little below the same to facilitate the slipping of the trace on or off, to which end and to form a seat for the trace-holding lug or dog when shut down the cap or tip B where the slot 1) occurs is constructed to form a sunken bar d. The lug or dog 0 is formed of asingle spring bent to protrude through the slot 0 and when in its normal or raised condition to catch at its lower front end under the sunken bar cl to keep it from unduly projecting through the slot 0, and further bent throughout the main portion of its body to lie wholly within the slot 1) in the tree, where it is secured at its fixed end by a pin e. Said spring, lug, or dog at its free or engaging end with the tug or trace is sloped 011 its back, but has astraight IOO inner face to provide for slipping the trace or tug fastening D, which may be of any suit-. able description, over it from the outer end of the tree or its cap when said free end of the spring-lug is depressed within the tree and when said spring is thrown upward or outward at its free end to prevent the tug or trace from accidentally slipping off the tree or its cap or tip B. To get the tug or trace oif the tree when required,it is only necessary to depress the free end of the spring 0 withinthe tree till it rests on the bar (1. This construction is preferable to having a spring or springs act directly on the bodyof thelug or dog. If desired, the spring lug or dog may be applied both above and below to the tree, as shown in Fig. 3.

The construction of the cap or tip Bis such that it presents no inner shoulder or stop to prevent the tug or trace from moving or being adjusted as required along the tree after passing inwardly over the spring lug or dog (3. Any suitable cockeye or fastening may be applied to the tug or trace.

To strengthen the tree and at thesame time to give a more symmetrical or ornamental appearance to it, the cap or tip B may be constructed longer on its one side than the other or have an oblique inner end finish, as shown in Fig. 3.

Although the invention is here only shown as applied to one end of the wooden tree, it of course is designed to apply it to each end thereof, and here it may be observed that with the exception of the slot in the end of the tree the metal cap or tip has a solid filling formed by the end of the tree, thus relieving it of strain, andthe cap reinforcing the tree, as against pull by the tug or trace, said cap wholly surrounding or inclosing and supporting the end portion of the tree.

HavingJthns described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Thecombination' of the woodenstock or tree A, havinga slot 1) in either end, the metal cap or tip B, fitting over said end and provided with a slot 0 over or in line with the slot 7), a sunken bar ,portion d beneath said slot 0, and the trace or tug holding lug or dog'O, composed of a single spring G, bent atits free end to protrude through the slot 0 and to catch when depressed under 'the bar portion (1, and further bentthroughout the main portion of its body to lie wholly within the slot 1) and secured at its fixed end to the tree and its cap, essentially as shown and described.

GUSTAVE OARLSON.

Witnesses:

W. E. I-IALEY, M. V. NICHOLSON. 

